I cooked dinner tonight. I had fewer guests than initially intended (only two) so I ended up cooking way too much.

Menu:
1) Spaghetti. wheat noodles and spaghetti sauce (from packet)

2) Chicken. Skillet cooked. When the skillet gets sufficiently heated, I pour in some water to create water vapor, and then seal the top of the skillet w/ some foil and a round pizza pan. This heats things up quite well within the skillet and helps the meat cook more thoroughly on the inside. The water vapor also helps the meat remain juicy. It’s still a good idea to turn the meat over a couple times and redo the seal.

For flavoring I tend to improv: today, added salt, pepper, dash of oregano, one beaten egg, “bread crumbs” (fist-ground Ritz crackers), Parmesan cheese, and some spaghetti sauce. It tasted good for improv. (I was roughly following a recipe for Parmesan chicken.

3) Green beans. They come from a can, they were put there by a man.

4) French bread. Sliced, buttered on each side. Note: don’t broil french bread. It starting burning on top in less than five minutes. I need a better way to heat it up for the future.

Results: Although I didn’t have as many guests as intended, the two people who were able to make it had a good time. I had some decent discussion about Christianity, science, and community with Lion. Also discussed work situations and other topics. Nick got here a bit later.

We played a game of Carcassonne. It’s my current favorite board game. It’s tile based and you take turns putting out tiles and placing your pieces. You get points as you reach objectives and keep playing until you run out of tiles.

After Lion took off, played some PS3 w/ Nick for a bit, but I’m not enthralled by any of the multiplayer games I’ve tried so far (Gran Turismo 5, Armor Core 4). Then again, I’m not quite the fiend at video games I was in the late ’90s ;)

All in all, I’m glad I had people over and I’m hoping to do it again on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Tags: community, cooking, food

If you ask meaningful questions to interested groups of people, you will receive replies and get reactions. A well placed question can bring about a more valuable dialogue and teaching/learning experience than a rant or lecture.

If you wonder why nobody else is doing something you want to see done, why haven’t you begun to do it yourself? I’ve realized that some things will never get done if I don’t initiate them. (Plus, keep this in mind: the person with the greatest vested interest in your life… is you.)

If you’re looking to create more meaningful relationships in your life, invite your friends or acquaintances over for dinner. Letting people into your home is letting them into your life. You’ll learn more about each other this way. I’m making it a goal to have people over for dinner a few times this year. I’ll let you know how it goes. My first attempt will be tomorrow.

If you want to learn something new, pick up a book and read! I love fiction and sci-fi, but reading some books about entrepreneurship has begun broadening my horizons. This will be valuable in the short-term by providing fuel for conversation and in the long-term because the additional knowledge will be a resource I can draw upon in future experiences.

Tags: advice

I’ve been in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past week.

I did a lot of things. My highlights include touching a six-hundred-year-old tree, hanging out w/ my friend Mark and his wife MaryEllen, meeting some of their friends including Jessica who I stayed with the first two days, eating Southern food, playing racquetball (which I just realized I’ve been spelling wrong for the last week), seeing some huge planes, going to the beach, and seeing historical sites such as Boone Hall Plantation and Fort Sumter.

Six Hundred Year Old Tree and Me: This tree at Boone Hall Plantation is over six hundred years old. Yes, that’s right, since before Columbus. I stood by it and even touched it. Pretty sweet.

Mark in Front of Fort Sumter: This is a photo of my friend Mark in front of Fort Sumter.

Check out the rest of the album:

Tags: Charleston, South Carolina

I am on vacation in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s going great so far. It’s so good it’s reminding me what it’s like to live and travel. If you haven’t traveled anywhere recently, I recommend getting away to a town, state, or country you’ve never been to.

So far in South Carolina I’ve experienced a variety of Southern foods, Southern courtesy and hospitality, and visited a variety of cultural and historical locations.

Highlights thus far: Eating fried green tomatoes on Saturday. Touched a six hundred year old Live Oak tree on Sunday.

I spent the first day and a half being shown around town by a 25 year old woman who also happens to be a pilot. It was a blast. Now I’m just hanging out w/ Mark and his wife, but it’s fun, too ;)

Tags: Charleston, culture, South Carolina, travel

For Memorial Day weekend, I booked an impulsive flight to Woodland, CA. I bought my tickets on Wednesday, packed Thursday night, flew down Friday evening, flew back Monday evening. It was a quick trip, but I had a great time seeing my Grandpa and Grandma and visiting w/ my Aunt and Uncle and staying on their farm.

I greatly enjoyed the change of context from my day-to-day life and the change of scenery. Woodland is much more of a farm town than I realized. I enjoyed the silence compared to city life. No cars streaming by on the highways as I lay sleeping. No distant city lights brightening the sky. Instead, you can hear animals, insects, and the wind.

Tags: travel, woodland